interactive smart fashion using user-oriented visible

Research ArticleInteractive Smart Fashion Using User-Oriented Visible LightCommunication: The Case of Modular Strapped Cuffs andZipper Slider Types

Jai-Eun Kim,1 Youn-Hee Kim,2 Jung-Hun Oh,1 and Ki-Doo Kim1

1Department of Electronics Engineering, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea2Department of Fashion Design, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea

Correspondence should be addressed to Ki-Doo Kim; [email protected]

Received 11 August 2017; Accepted 9 November 2017; Published 10 December 2017

Academic Editor: Ji-Woong Choi

Copyright © 2017 Jai-Eun Kim et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License,which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Because LEDs offer flexible expressions such as brightness, color control, and various patterns, they are popularly used inmultidevice interactions. Moreover, LEDs have excellent physical characteristics. However, existing LED light-based wearableinteractions are designed for interest and attention. So, LED can be used in fashion as it can give new look to our style and atthe same time also as an interaction device. Therefore, in this paper, we present the design guideline for regulating the technicalimplementation, design strategies, and directions of interactive LED devices.The technology and design concepts are demonstratedthrough a case study (analysis) of an existing LED light-based wearable interaction. We also design a scenario-based iterativecollaborative design process model. Finally, we develop a smart fashion of modular strapped cuffs and zipper slider types thatcan be attached and detached according to the user’s preference as the interactive smart fashion using user-oriented visible lightcommunication, ultimately pursuing a visual-MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) product through stepwise strategy.

1. Introduction

Wearable technology applied products are now contributingto high value-added businesses that cater to the emotionalneeds of users seeking creative newness as well as changingconsumer lifestyles by fusing technology and fashion. Theword “fashion,” in this paper, indicates new look of ourdress combined with technology. The technology has twopurposes: (i) giving our dress a distinctive style and (ii)sharing information about what we want to share. Because ofthis communication factor, we mention it as “smart fashion”or “interactive smart fashion” or “wearable interactions” or“wearable technology applied products.” A good exampleis smart fashion, which combines clothing with luminousbodies such as optical fibers, LEDs, and electroluminescentfilms. Smart fashion is being developed for various appli-cations such as entertainment, communication, and safetyprotection.

The physical characteristics of LEDs are superior tothose of other luminous bodies. Specifically, LEDs have long

lifetimes and low energy consumptions; moreover, they aremore compact, thinner, lighter, and more environmentallyfriendly than other electronic devices. They react quicklyand offer limitless interaction possibilities when combinedwith various sensors. In addition, the brightness, color, andpattern of LED-based interactions can be freely adjusted.Such flexible expression is ideal for realizing simultaneity inwearable interactions.

Research on light-applied smart fashion is still in theearly stage and focuses on attracting the interest and atten-tion of users rather than exploring commercialization pos-sibilities. Current implementations are nonefficient, func-tionally limited, and cannot establish a social infrastruc-ture. As such, they have failed to gain the understandingand sympathy of people. User-centric smart fashion thatis easily accessible and human-friendly demands furtherresearch.

To acquire a solid position in the smart fashion market,designers must combine technology with consumer percep-tions in the popular market rather than adopt a simple

HindawiWireless Communications and Mobile ComputingVolume 2017, Article ID 5203053, 13 pageshttps://doi.org/10.1155/2017/5203053

https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/5203053

2 Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing

technology-based approach [1]. To this end, we establishedan interdisciplinary research team of engineers and fash-ion designers and proposed smart fashion that detects theemotions of consumers and incorporates functionality andaesthetics into the products.

Our interdisciplinary research team has proposed vis-ible light communication (VLC) for wearable interactions(smart fashion) through the following three-stage researchstrategy: (1) identifying the specialized factors of LED-based visual communication (information visualization) bysurveying users; the users’ needs then become the evaluationcriteria for information visualization; (2) based on the user-needs survey results and the analysis results of interactivesmart fashion, proposing design guidelines (technology anddesign concepts) for technical implementations and designstrategies and directions; and (3) designing a process modelfor the scenario-based interactive collaborative design anddeveloping a smart fashion of modular strapped cuffs andzipper slider types, which can be attached or detached byusers.This VLC-based interactive smart fashion is developedvia a stepwise strategy.

2. Related Works

VLC is not the latest topic but it has vast application. Visual-MIMO in smart fashion technology is a potential branch offuture research. Researchers have tried to implement visual-MIMO in different applications. Corbellini et al. [2] describeddifferent user application like home networking, LED-to-LED communication for toys, interactive fashion and fabrics,toys without radio emission, and toy communication withsmartphone. They gave an idea about fashion with VLCtechnology but no proper demonstration. Swartz et al. [3]designed wearable communication system that can controlbody attached device by personal area networks (PANs)and it has also access to the wide area networks (WANs).Hertleer et al. [4] introduced an intelligent fabric system thatcontains an antenna operating properly in the 2.4–2.4835-GHz industrial-scientific-medical bandwidth. The similarkind of work was done by Ito et al. [5]. They proposed awearable jacket to employ endoscope system. Pyattaev etal. [6] showed current and emerging connectivity solutionsfor high-density wearable deployments, their relative perfor-mance, and open communication challenges. Pathak et al.[7] made survey paper on VLC system. They described VLCsystem components, communication medium for VLC, andthe application of the VLC like indoor localization, gesturerecognition, screen-camera communication, and vehicularnetworking.

Except [2], the other studies are about either VLC systemor wearable devices for communication. None of themdirectly worked with both VLC and wearable technology.Reference [2] onlymentionedVLC technology for interactivefashion design. We focused on the fusion of “wearable”technology and “LED communication.” And we developedthe fashionable visual-MIMO prototype using user-orientedvisible light communication. In our paper, we show thatinteractive fashion with VLC is good candidate for futurefashion and technology industry.

3. Survey on LED Light for Usability

In interactive smart fashion, the diverse needs of usersand the important elements in a usability assessment mustbe considered. To this end, our interdisciplinary researchteam conducted a preliminary survey on users’ needs, whichrevealed the important factors reflecting the specializedcharacteristics of LED-based visual communication and usedthem as an evaluation scale for information visualization.Thus, users’ opinions were actively collected and appliedin the initial design stage, and their needs were analyzedthrough user-centric design approaches. The improvementfactors were also identified.

Theuser-needs survey and analysis revealed three types ofneeds; infotainment (information + entertainment) commu-nication, nonverbal communication for people with hearingimpairments, and a wearable interface with detachable mod-ules. The analysis results are outlined as follows:

(1) Content Survey for Infotainment: a questionnairebased on a 5-point Likert scale was administered to20women in their twenties.The survey focused on thecontent elements needed for interactions. Eighty-fivepercent of the respondents reported that LED-basedvisual communication facilitates the sharing of sym-pathy and enjoyment.That is,most of the respondentsdesired both functionality and decorativeness of theLED element. Moreover, in the integration of com-munication devices into interactive fashion, the visualsensory element (the LED) was preferred over thetactile sensory element (vibration) (50% versus 45%of respondents). Forty-five and 30% of respondentschose the neckline and shoulders-and-arms (upperand lower arms), respectively, as the attachment sitefor an LED-based communication. Respondents alsoconsidered the around-the-arm interface format asthe most recognizable in terms of usability.

(2) Content Survey for Nonverbal Communication forPeople with Hearing Impairments: the questionnairewas carried out by categorizing the methods ofLED-based visual communication and the preferredsensory parts of people with hearing impairments.The respondents were 30 members of the KoreaAssociation of the Deaf in their twenties, thirties, orforties. All respondents expressed a need for smartfashion and had used a communication device orauxiliary equipment. Their scores were based on a5-point Likert scale and in-depth interviews. Theneeds analysis revealed that smart fashion helps toresolve the communication disorders between peo-ple with and without hearing impairments. It alsoassists the hearing impaired individuals with theirnonverbal communication through mutual feedbackand allows them to partially communicate with indi-viduals lacking knowledge of sign language. Finally,smart fashion promises to expand human functionsand converts the information needed by people withhearing impairments into visual signals.These peoplecommunicate by cellular phone (46.6%), hearing aid

Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing 3

(26.6%), or both (26.8%). More than 80% of peoplewith hearing impairments reported difficulty withcommunication exchanges. Respondents also desiredto receive communications such as tactile (73.3%) andvisual (26.7%) sensation through an intuitive inter-face. Visually perceptible wearable interface format,such as an LED, was rated satisfactory and averageby 73.3% and 26.7% of respondents, respectively.These findings highlight the need for interactive smartfashion with an inbuilt visual communication feature,enabling intuitive interactions for peoplewith hearingimpairments.

(3) Survey on Detachable Modules and Wearable Inter-face Designs: the subjects (32 men and women aged20–28 years participated in a survey and they hadan interest and experiences with smart fashion.)reported their responses on a questionnaire basedon a 5-point Likert scale, and in interviews. Eighty-one percent of the respondents reacted positively towearable interface designs with human-friendly fas-teners (buttons, sleeve bands, zipper sliders, buckles,stoppers, and Velcro).The favored fasteners were but-tons (38.5% of respondents), strapped cuffs (30.8%),and zipper sliders (28%). In addition, 83% of respon-dents preferred to attach and detach their favoritefunctions and designs according to time, place, andoccasion (TPO). Reasons for this preference includeddetergency, ease of management, usability, economy,compatibility, and sociality. These findings highlightthe need for further research.

Considering these findings, our research team set adirection of promoting a LED-based smart fashion marketby developing a user-centric content with VLC that fusesengineering and fashion design. The resulting design willsatisfy the formativeness, wearability, purposefulness, econ-omy, usability, satisfaction, and safety demands of the smartfashion market.

4. Method: Research throughExplorative Design

4.1. LEDasDesignMaterial. LED, as a small device, can freelyexpress the formative elements of line, surface, and spacedesigns. They also create spatiotemporal patterns throughlight. Consistent with recent trends in emotion centric con-sumption, fashion design has increasingly focused on imagesand aesthetic sensitivity. With visualizing technologies ofvarious colors, LED light-basedwearable communication hasthe potential of creating a new market with original andcreative high value-added fashion products that satisfy thefashion trends toward emotions and the smart fashion era.Recently, multidisciplinary researches have promoted thesegoals by exploiting the LED as design material. To highlightthe use of LEDs as future design materials, this sectionintroduces a typical case study of LED.

To improve the wearability of LEDs, researchers haveapplied textile-basedmethods or non-textile-basedmethods.First, the textile-based LED, based on a research on the

conductive textile, has been studied as one axis of theelectronic components, such as transistors and sensors [8].Among the textile-based methods, the polymer light emit-ting electrochemical cell (PLEC) method achieves flexible,lightweight LED-based materials that can be woven intotextiles like conventional clothes and which provide thesame brightness from any direction [9]. Furthermore, PLECmaterials can be manufactured by a high-speed, low-cost,roll-to-roll process that applies the dip-coating techniqueswidely used in fiber, thread, and fabric dyeing. Figure 1illustrates a color-adjustable textile fabricated by the PLECprocess [9].

Rather than illuminating the textile itself, non-textile-based methods aim to improve the physical characteristicsof the LEDs incorporated into wearable devices. Colloidalquantum dot LEDs (QLEDs) are non-textile-based deviceswith unique optoelectronic properties such as color tun-ability, narrow emission spectra, high quantum yield, andphoto/air stability. Additional advantages include printabilityon various substrates, ultrathin active layers, and high lumi-nescence at low operating voltages [10]. Recently, ultrathinand wearable RGB QLEDs have been fabricated by a high-resolution intaglio transfer printing technique. Such QLEDscan be laminated onto various soft and curvilinear surfaceswithout diminishing the high EL efficiency. High-definition,full-color deformable QLEDs are expected to be realized inthe near future [10]. Figure 2 presents electronic tattoos basedon ultrathin wearable RGB QLEDs constructed by the high-resolution intaglio transfer printing technique [10].

We expect that previous research will enable free designvariations of wearable devices and also will provide moresolutions to the designer of wearable devices by promotingthe physical properties of LEDs in a wearable-friendly way.

4.2. Conventional Wearable Interactions Based on Led Light.With the growth of the wearable device market, now, it isnot difficult to experience LED-based wearable interactionin the vicinity. This section analyzes existing LED-basedinteractive wearable devices, discusses their technical issuesand the problems of conventional wearable interactions, andproposes new directions.

In the following representative cases, the functionalityand decorativeness of LED light-based wearable technologyare demonstrated in entertainment, communication, andsafety functions.

Figure 3 presents Lumalive fabric with an entertainmentfunction, which is used in the Lumalive textile garments ofPhilips [11].This fabric creates dynamic advertising, graphics,and constantly changing color expressions through a lumi-nous and flexible LED array inserted in the textile.

Figure 4 presents an interactive sound shirt with a com-munication function for people with hearing impairments[12]. By wearing this shirt, users can “listen” to an orchestraby feeling the vibrations of the instruments, which activatedifferent parts of the shirt. An orchestral concert for peoplewith hearing impairments was jointly organized and heldby an orchestra team “Junge Symphoniker Hamburg” forpeople with hearing impairments and a company “CuteCir-cuit” which specializes in wearable technologies. The “Sound


(a) (b) (c) (d)

(e) (f) (g) (h) (i)

Figure 1: Integrated PLEC fibers and textiles: (a) textile subjected to bending and twisting, (b)–(d) two fiber-shaped PLECs selectivelyilluminated in different colors (biased at 10 Volts), and (e)–(i) weaving of fiber-shaped PLECs into a “FUDAN” pattern (biased at 9 Volts).

(a) (b) (c)

Figure 2: Electronic tattoo demonstrations based on ultrathin wearable QLEDs: (a) optical image of ultrathin green QLEDs laminated oncrumpled Al foil and (b, c) photographs of the electronic tattoo (blue QLEDs) laminated on human skin (b). The wearable QLEDs maintaintheir optoelectronic performances even under skin deformations (c).

Figure 3: Lumalive textile garments with display functionality.

Shirt” software includes sensors that detect the importantsounds of the bass, cello, and percussion instruments andtranslate them into vibrations, enabling users to experiencethe orchestral performance.

Figure 5 presents a garment with a safety protectionfunction [13]. LED-based turn signals are installed in thefront and back of the garment, allowing the wearer to viewapproaching people fromall directions and thereby avoid rearaccidents.

Inspired by the preceding examples, our interdisciplinaryresearch team analyzed the content and applicability ofLED light-based wearable interactions. From a technological


Figure 4: A Sound Shirt for hearing impaired individuals.

Figure 5: LUMENUS smart cloth with a safety functionality.

viewpoint, conventional LED-based wearable interactionscan be divided into three types (see Figure 6). The firstis a simple lighting for aesthetic effects, and the secondis a light emission by responding sensors embedded inthe wearable device. Finally, the third is the light emis-sion indicating the operating status of a separate devicesuch as a smartphone. As shown in Figure 6, the conven-tional LEDs play a comparatively passive role that dependson the types or applications of the prescribed wearabledevices.

Along with the Lumalive textile garments in Figure 3,which possess an infotainment functionality, the typicalexample of type 1 interaction in Figure 6 is CuteCircuit’sGalaxy Dress, which is pictured in Figure 7 [14]. GalaxyDress is composed of 24,000 full-color pixels and a LED of2 × 2 [mm2] size is flat like paper. Also, the Galaxy Dress,as an integration of the electronic device technology, doesnot overheat and consumes very little electricity.The heaviestpart of Galaxy Dress is not the technology, but the 40-layerpleated silk organza crinoline that widens the skirt [14]. Inrecognition of the merits of fusing technology and fashion,the Galaxy Dress is the centerpiece of the “Fast Forward:Inventing the Future” exhibition at the Museum of Scienceand Industry inChicago [14]. However, the conceptual designis limited, as it does not consider the users’ situations orpurposes when wearable devices are gradually evolving intolife-friendly products.

Next, a representative example of type 2 interactionshown in Figure 6 is the “Sound Shirt,” shown in Figure 4,demonstrating the visual communication function.The lumi-nescence pattern and color of the LED dynamically respondto the loudness sensor. However, the application range andusability of this interaction are limited by sensor type and thesurrounding environment. Nevertheless, this sensor-basedinteraction caters to the situations and purposes of hearingimpaired persons and hence expands human functionality.

The third interaction type in Figure 6 visually informs thestatus of an external device such as a smartphone. A represen-tative example is the smart ring of RINGLY, which indirectlyreceives notifications of five smartphone applications selectedby the user (see Figure 8). The user-selected applications aredistinguished by five emission colors of the LED attached tothe accessory and four vibration patterns [15]. Xiaomi’s smartbandMi Band also reports the status of the user’s smartphoneand checks the user’s heart rate, distance traveled (numberof steps), and sleeping patterns. To remove the functionalambiguity of the three LED indicators embedded in the initialversion [16], Xiaomi recently developed Mi Band 2, whichreplaces the LED indicators with small organic LED displays[17].

Considering the three kinds of generic wearable interac-tions, present LEDs are potentially useful in smart fashiondesign despite their limited applicability in smart materials.Given that most wearable devices include a sensor and abattery, LED light can visually and intuitively indicate theoperating state of a device, which is a very attractive feature.Nevertheless, as LED lacks many of the functional factorsdemanded for smart fashion materials, it is generally avoidedin costume design. Specifically, LEDs are limited to visualeffects (light emission patterns and colors), which restrictstheir applicability in wearable device of everyday life. There-fore, to utilize LEDs in the smart fashion market, which isgradually becoming specialized and systematized, we requireaesthetically pleasing, functional wearable interactions thatadapt to the situations and purposes of users.

5. Technical Implementation:Color-Independent Visual-MIMO System

To incorporate visible-light communication in wearabledevices and smart fashion, our interdisciplinary researchteam applied the color-space based generalized color mod-ulation (GCM) technique proposed by ourselves [18].The research adopted the color-independent visual-MIMO(Multiple-InputMultiple-Output) system. Here, the modifier“color-independent” indicates the independence of the varia-tions in the light color and light intensity and visual-MIMOmeans the visible light communication (VLC) between thelight emitting array (LEA) and the camera.

5.1. Visible Light Communication (VLC). Generally, VLCrefers to the technology for sending information by blinkingthe LED at a speed that cannot be perceived by human eyes.Here, the LED is used for transmitting the information, whilea photo detector (PD) or a camera image sensor can beutilized as the receiver (depending on the application). In


LEDs

LEDs Sensors

LEDs Sensors Devices

Type 1

Type 2

Type 3

Figure 6: Three types of conventional wearable interactions based on LED light.

Figure 7: Galaxy Dress.

Figure 8: Smart ring of RINGLY.

the simplest case, digital data is sent through the LED byassigning the “on” and “off” of the LED light to the digitalbits 1 and 0, respectively. The receiver decides the 1 or 0status of the signal by detecting the changes in light intensityfrom the sensor. Recently,many studies about a camera imagesensor as the transmission receiver have been conductedbecause most electronic devices (including smartphones)already contain a high-performance camera [2].

The low cost, energy efficiency, and environmentalfriendliness of LED elements and their extensive use of theexisting infrastructure are advantageous for applying VLC inLED-based fashion. By adding a communicationmodule andan appropriate smartphone application that controls the LEDbuilt-in smart fashion, any designer can incorporate LEDsinto new interactions that are easily experienced by users. Asin usual short-range wireless communication, the user canactively select and control the information to be delivered.Figure 9 demonstrates how VLC enables new wearableinteractions in LED-based smart fashion. While maintainingits conventional functions, the LED can communicate withexternal devices through the VLC. The potential for newinteractions will ultimately increase the value of LED-baseddesign materials. Three types of VLC communication arediscussed here.

Type 1: LEDs are attached to cloths and send somefixed information to Device 1 to Device𝑁.Type 2: LEDs can be attached to the locket. Sensorscollect data and send the data to the device via LEDs.Type 3: Almost similar to type 2 but here sensorsreceive data from another device via Bluetooth andLEDs are attached to the wearable device like watch.

In case of every type, multidevice interaction is possible, thatis, one of the main advantages of the VLC communication.

5.2. Generalized Color Modulation (GCM). As a practicalmedium for transmitting data by VLC, the LED light mustbe carefully considered at the fashion design side becauseof its visible attributes. Most of the existing VLC systemshave been developed for white lighting, which is unsuitablefor fashionable clothing. The RGB LEDs in typical wearabledevices (or smart fashions) are controlled by two parame-ters: color and intensity (brightness). In addition, as bothparameters largely depend on the design requirements, thecommunication must perform under varying light color andbrightness of the LEDs.This section introduces a modulationmethod that is optimized for combining the VLC technologywith fashion design.

The first color-space-based modulation scheme, termedcolor shift keying (CSK), was proposed by the IEEE 802.15.7task group [19, 20]. However, CSK is not suitable for com-munications when target color varies with time because


LEDs

LEDs Sensors

LEDs Sensors Devices

Type 1Device 1

Device 2

Device 3

Type 2

Type 3

New wearable interaction

Device N

...

Figure 9: Block diagram of new wearable interactions through VLC.

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Figure 10: Example of GCM constellation and a prototype of color-independent VLC system: (a) example of GCM constellation and (b)prototype of color-independent VLC system.

it does not involve a systematic manner of coping withchanging target color conditions. Here, the target colormeansthe desired color of the LED lighting. In order to over-come this limitation, another color-space-based modulationscheme, termed as generalized color modulation (GCM),was proposed for color-independent VLC systems [18, 21].It should be noted that the most distinctive feature andadvantage of GCM over the other modulation schemes iscolor independency. GCM is able to generate any color withina gamut by combining some of the wavelengths or colors.Therefore, through GCM, we may achieve a VLC schemethat can maintain the original color and brightness whileperforming seamless communication. Figure 10 shows theexample of color-space-based constellation and a prototypeof the color-independent VLC transceiver. GCM constructs

a constellation diagram in a light color space to representdata symbols. Each constellation point in the color spacerepresents a corresponding color. Symbol color indicates theilluminating color of the LED depending on the input data,and the target colormeans a color perceived by the human eyewhen the symbol color changes rapidly at random [22]. Ourproposed GCM method selects the number of transmittingsymbols and the corresponding colors of the symbols inCIE1931 color space (see Figure 10(a)) and assigns digital bitsto each color. Typically, when many symbols are illuminatingrandomly and rapidly through the LEDs, the human eyeperceives the color of the LED as the average of multiplesymbol colors.

The LED-color independency of GCM may be its mostindispensable feature in fashion design. Designers of smart


Design of LED lightsInput data GCM setting S/P Mapping to

LEDsLED array

(transmitter)

Output data Optical channelCamera (receiver)

Image processing

Demapping tocolor spaceP/S

Figure 11: GCM-based visual-MIMO transceiving procedure with design of LED lights.

Information selection(homepage URL)

Color coding

LED module

Transmitter (LEDs)

LEDs detection

Color decoding

Information reception(homepage open)

Receiver (camera)

Figure 12: Block diagram of the transmitter (LEDs) and receiver(camera) in the “website-link” prototype.

wearable fashion must determine the color and brightnessof the LEDs embedded in their products. The GCM methodenables the engineer to maintain the color and brightnessselected by the designer while performing seamless commu-nication. Figure 11 shows a block diagram of the GCM-basedvisual-MIMOtransceiving procedure, including the design ofLED lights [23].

6. System Description: Transmitter (LEDs)and Receiver (Camera)

In the visual-MIMO system, the multiple transmitting ele-ments of a light emitting array (LEA) are used as trans-mitters to communicate to the pixels of the camera (imagesensor), which act as multiple receiving elements. Thissection explains how the transmitter and receiver of thecolor-independent visual-MIMO system interact through the“website links” prototype developed by our interdisciplinaryresearch team. Figure 12 shows the overall operation of the“website link” prototype based on color-independent visual-MIMO.

The operation of each block in Figure 12 is outlined in thefollowing.

6.1. Transmitter

(1) Information selection: first, the user selects the datato transmit over the Bluetooth platform of a smart-phone. In the prototype, the color independence ofthe visual-MIMO system is demonstrated on the rel-atively simple URL address of an internet homepage.

In actual use, the data type can be altered to suit thecontent of smart fashion.

(2) Color coding: the selected data (in this case, the URLaddress) are converted into color information by theGCM method, which digitizes the data to fit thecommunication protocol of the color-independentvisual-MIMO system.

(3) LED module: the converted color information issequentially mapped to multiple LEDs for fast LEDemission.

6.2. Receiver

(1) LED array detection: referring to the image capturedby the camera of a smartphone application, the LEDarray is detected by an image processing algorithm[24].

(2) Color decoding: each LED is located by analyzing thesize and geometry of the LED array in the detectedimage. The symbol information is then obtained bydetermining and analyzing the color of each LED.

(3) Information reception: the data are recovered byconverting the color (or symbol) information intodigital bits through our GCM method. Finally, thesmartphone application opens the homepage usingthe recovered data.

7. Design Strategies and Results

In the design industry of the 21st century, LEDs, backedby technological advancements, can realize multiple-sensoryemotions that express rich human emotions. The expressiveeffects are functionality, aesthetics, interactions, and amuse-ment.

More specifically, the various colors and fluid graphicspatterns of LED work as aesthetic elements. Along with theunique functionality of light, these elements create brandimages and attract consumers to the design industry. Thelong life and environmentally friendly nature of LEDs enableefficient, low-cost designs. Combined with digital technolo-gies, the newmedia features of LEDs can entertain users withdesigns involving visual and emotional interactions.

Our research team fused engineering and fashion designto actively capture the emotions of consumers in our designproducts. To achieve a smart fashion prototype based onVLC, our team developed modular strapped cuffs and zippersliders with the physical properties of clothing, which canbe detached as desired by users. The technological aspectsof the design manifest in the changing functionality of


Planning Killer application Brainstorming & roadmap

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combination andrisk)

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moduleProduction ofsmart fashion

Figure 13: A process model of VLC-based smart fashion design.

the visual-MIMO communication (URL information in ourscenario), which is implemented on the Bluetooth platform.In this design, users can adopt their own styles and individu-alities through the detachable modular approach.

7.1. Iterative Collaborative Design Process. The process modelof the VLC-based smart fashion design fuses the processeswith the desired characteristics developed in other fields. Indeveloping the process model, we analyzed the methodolo-gies of digital content, product design, and interaction designand incorporated them into the fashion process.

In the following we summarize the design process modelby which we developed our stepwise strategy for the VLC-based smart fashion prototypes (see Figure 13):

(1) In the Planning and Killer Application Developmentstage, the content is tailored to users by exploiting theVLC and the correlations among men, clothes, andtechnology.

(2) The Brainstorming and Roadmap stage analyzes thedesign needs of the user and identifies the special-ized VLC factors through the technology. Finally, itdesigns a killer application.

(3) The Scenario Development stage determines thescope of the VLC-based scenarios and VLC appliedservices. It writes a composite story by predictingthe actual situations, including the circumstances andgoals of users, and facilitates solid judgments ratherthan a two-dimensional, fragmentary understandingof problems.

(4) The Concept Development (technology and design)stage identifies the hardware, software, and formativeelements of the design.Thedesign concept is based onwho, when, what, how, and why, context and content,and user interface and user experience. During thiscritical stage, the elements stemmed from the prob-lems of technology and design-centric thinking areimproved by a practical and specific implementationplan, which is applied in actual research. This stagemust develop the user-centric content and investigate

the fusion of engineering and design to meet thedemands of users (namely, formativeness, wearability,purposefulness, economy, usability, satisfaction, andsafety).

(5) The Designing stage applies and materializes theformative design elements.This stage involves styling,sketch design, the design of choices for sampleproduction, drawing, modeling, and fitting. In thepresent design, the strapped cuffs and zipper sliderswere rendered detachable from the VLC system ifdesired by the user. Users can also reorganize variousplatforms containing the clothing components of thesmart fashion module. The outcome was a playfuldesign by which users can enjoy the technology andits operation while satisfying their emotional needs.

(6) In the Prototype Development stage, our team devel-oped a prototype of the trapped cuffs and zipper slidertypes with inbuilt information (URL information inthe current scenario) conveyed through a Bluetoothplatform. The modules were combined with clothingat this stage, and the prototype was demonstrated.

7.2.Multipurpose Smart Fashion byUser Interfaces. If clothes-module combination has superior functionality but is fixedand nondetachable, its smart fashion will be of limited utilityand will fail to provide a user-centric design. To resolve thisissue, the components of ourmodular system can be detachedas desired by users and are compatible with the details(strapped cuffs and zipper sliders) and fastening systems ofconventional clothes. The modular system vastly improvesthe multipurposefulness, economy, usability, and detergencyof the earlier smart fashion lacked. The approach began withthe modularization of simple form to expand the diversitywithout requiring software and hardware changes. Individualuser experience-based designs can be implemented by build-ing diverse platforms that are modularized for each user. Bysimulating the fastening systems of clothes (such as snaps,zippers, Velcro, and clips), we overcome the reluctance ofusers towear computerized technologies.These fastenings are


(a) (b)

Figure 14: Communication between the transmitter (LEDs) and receiver (camera): (a) strapped cuffs type and (b) zipper slider type.

also familiar to users and are both functional and decorative.The developed fastening system is intuitively operated andadaptable to users’ individual tastes.

The strapped cuffs and zipper sliders, proposed in ourstudy, represent a multipurpose, adaptable smart fashion.Through the Bluetooth platform, users can alter the func-tions and designs of the smart fashion and continuouslycommunicate with other users. The detachable modularsystem incorporates the functional module into cloth-ing components that can be separated by fasteners (seeFigure 14).

7.3. Interactive Smart Fashion for VLC. In the proposedscenario, two strapped cuffs and zipper slider types wereapplied to an interactive smart fashion, which nonverballycommunicates information through VLC. This communica-tion mode visually conveys the users’ individuality.

Interaction (i) Scenario

(1) A user takes a walk at night.(2) The walker meets an acquaintance by chance.(3) The acquaintance requests the walker’s blog address.(4) With thewalker’s permission, the acquaintance (using

the camera of a smartphone) photographs thewalker’sstrapped cuffs (or zipper slider) embedding thevisual-MIMO system.

(5) The blog address is automatically sent to the smart-phone.

Interaction (ii) Scenario

(1) A user shops for clothes at the department store.(2) The shopper desires to know the size, material, color,

and other details of a clothing item.(3) The shopper opens his 3D body avatar using the

smartphone app.

(4) The shopper photographs the tag shaped visual-MIMO with his smartphone camera.

(5) The visual-MIMO system simulates the clothing item.The shopper receives the feedback without wearingthe item.

(i) Strapped Cuffs Type. The cuffs band-type smart fashionmodule can be attached and detached through the Bluetoothplatform developed by the research team. This fashionablysmartmodule servesmultiple purposes and functionalities byattaching and detaching the VLC-based strapped cuffs with asnap fastener, which is compatible with other clothes, or byattaching it to a zipper slider.

(ii) Zipper Slider Type. This module inserts a zipper sliderwith a clip fastener and can be detached according tousers’ tastes. The functionality and LED light source of thisprototype are visually decorative, and the module alters thedetails of basic clothing items.

The research combined the elements of a smart fashioninterface with shaped fastening systems that can be attachedto clothes, alter the functions of clothes, and allow adjustmentto different clothes (see Figure 15).

Design guidelines were incorporated into the technologyand design concept, and the application planning of theelements was based on the analysis results of the user-needssurvey. By this approach, the research team developed aninteractive smart fashion prototype for the visual-MIMOcommunication. The prototype consisted of strapped cuffsand zipper slider type modules. To ensure a user-friendlyproduct, the design guidelines were based on the four essen-tial elements of a technology concept (usability, detachability,purposefulness, and economy) and of a design concept(usability, detachability, formativeness, and wearability).

Table 1 categorizes the technology and design conceptsin the design guidelines of the interactive smart fashionfor nonverbal communication through the visual-MIMOsystem.


Table 1: The design guidelines of interactive smart fashion for nonverbal communication through visual-MIMO communication.

Filed Element User needs General plan

Technologyconcept Usability

(i) Free of two hands, intuitional interface form needs.(ii) Communication: sight (LED), sense of touch(vibration sensor)(iii) Interactivity: using and care for simple, easycommunication

(i) Transmitter (LEDs) and receiver (Camera)communication (Bluetooth Android Platform)

Disadhesion(i) Demand on disadhesion module in clothes(ii) Convenience through disadhesion(iii) Multipurpose and compatibility

(i) Disadhesion of module

Purposefulness (i) Taking into account situation and purpose to user (i) Design disadhesion on user tasteEconomicfeasibility

(i) Compatibility with other smart clothing, Take intoaccount Economic feasibility (i) Design of disadhesion a module

Usability (i) A decorative painting of technology(ii) Feeling in use of not computer instrument

(i) A source of light LED decorative painting oftechnology

Disadhesion (i) Fashionable needs to disadhesion and compatibilityof module

(i) Disadhesion realization through fastener(ii) Strapped cuffs and zipper slider types

Formativeness (i) Everyday wearing positive, feeling in use of notcomputer instrument (i) Details change on basic item

Wearability (i) Structural design of check body transformation (i) Body move a little design on arm

Strapped cuffs typeZipper slider type

Figure 15: Dis-adhesion of smart module by a fastener: (left) strapped cuffs type and (right) zipper slider type.

Figure 16 presents the strapped cuffs and zipper sliderprototypes of the interactive smart fashion for visual-MIMOcommunication.

Reference [25] shows the implementation of our pro-posed idea. LED can be used as wearable device as wellas pattern for communication. In Figure 17, to verify theperformance of the prototype, symbol error rate (SER) wasanalyzed for 100,000 random symbol data while varyingthe distance between the transmitter and the receiver; thedistances used were 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2m, respectively. In the4 × 4 LEA, there was no error for distances up to 1.5m,but 12200 errors occurred at 2m. For the 4 × 1 LEA, thenumber of errors was 700, 520, 2100, and 64400, respectively.In the case of 4 × 1 LEA, since the standard deviation (SD)value of the synchronization data increases, the differencefrom the SD value of the information data decreases, sothe synchronization error occurs more frequently and theperformance degrades [23, 25].

8. Conclusion

Interactive relationships in VLC-based smart fashion areformed between the individuals wearing LED-applied clothesand their observers, or among a group wearing LED-appliedclothes. VLC-based smart fashion is organic, promotinginteractive information flow through the wearable interac-tions and expanding the expressional forms of the wearabletechnology.

The proposedmodular system can be detached as desiredby the users. The system captures the details of real clothes(strapped cuffs and zipper sliders) and fastening systems byfusing technology with clothing design and is compatiblewith other clothes. The visual-MIMO system embedded inthe clothing components is designed for versatile user tastesand allows users to operate from various platforms. Theoutcome was a playful design that satisfies the emotionalneeds of users through an enjoyable technology.


(a) (b)

Figure 16: Prototypes of (left) strapped cuffs type and (right) zipper slider type.

LED: 4LED: 16

1.51.0 2.00 0.5Distance (m)

10−5

10−4

10−3

10−2

10−1

100

SER

Figure 17: SER performance versus distance.

The system preserves the aesthetics of old wearabledevices and smart fashion by preventing the flickering ofLED color and brightness. In addition, an image processingalgorithm at the receiver end was optimized for wearabledevices and smart fashion, and an interactive conversationsystem that delivers information nonverbally via LED lightwas developed.

The proposed color-independent visual-MIMO systemcommunicates only throughLEDs and camera image sensors.As no separate communication network is required, thesystem is potentially compatible with location-based service(LBS) and internet of things (IoT) services with the old LED

infrastructure and smartphone cameras. Future technologyis expected to further satisfy the goals of users throughcustomized content development. The design characteristicsof LED light (color and brightness) are visual and emotionalelements. VLC-based technology will ultimately realize cre-ative and original high value-added design products, givingthe smart fashion industry a competitive edge in globalmarkets.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interestregarding the publication of this paper.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Basic Science ResearchProgram through the National Research Foundation(NRF) of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education[2015R1D1A1A01061396] and was also supported bythe National Research Foundation of Korea Grantfunded by the Ministry of Science, ICT, Future Planning[2015R1A5A7037615].

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http://www.mi.com/en/miband2/

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